Trying: Watercoloring Wrinkles

 I started water coloring about a year and a half ago.  It was kind of a fluky thing. I was over at my friend Cathie's house. I was poking around her studio and was admiring some water coloring done by her friend Char.  It was a beautiful field near Sullivan Park that I loved to walk by.  Cathie said "I'm watercoloring that. Copying Char's". I was so taken with Char's painting that I blurted out "I'm going to too!".  I ordered a Paul Rubens paint set, got to painting not knowing anything and I never looked back.  Here it is. My first water color ever:

 

Despite what it looks like there is no tunnel next to the bike path.

Then I did a few Sarah Cray "Let's Make Art"  videos (I love her and the tutorials are terrific and a joy to do no matter your level (if in learning phase). I gained confidence.  I started copying watercolors I loved online. Now I have graduated to painting from pictures.  I painted my favorite subject - my husband and my friend Chelea Alwine. 

Real Chelea. Not quite Chelea. But I still love it. Not sure she does.

Then hubby: 

I actually love this, but he looks dirty and without facial marks whatsoever.

 But I drew them and painted them without wrinkles or scars.  Why?  Because I didn't know how to paint wrinkles and scars without them looking like monsters.  "Hey look darling, this is you!" Um, no.  So I got a couple of handsome, beautifully and abundantly wrinkled faces from free pic sites Pexels and Unsplash.  A rugged man and a lovely elderly lady.  I learned a lot.  No they are not awesome, I have a color? tone? pigment? and layering problem (self diagnosis. heal thyself.  LOL). Wrinkles are nuanced and require patience. A difficult thing for a ham-fisted, eat the pizza and scald the mouth sorta chicky.  If you detect what the problems are and have answers or tips and tricks, let me know.  Here are the pictures alongside my best attempt at them. Water coloring will either tame impatience or cause you to embrace mud on cotton.  

Beauty

My try at it. Sorry lady.

  

Rugged man pic up top and my attempt on bottom (in case there is confusion!)

Want to try water coloring?  I cannot recommend Sarah Cray's "Let's Make Art" enough.  She makes art easy and by the end of a video, you will be in a terrific mood. No, she isn't paying me... except in happiness.  You have to start somewhere. Start happy.  Pretty soon you will be saying "hey, I think I will paint some wrinkles today!". The joy!  Go watercolor something!